Le Tour 2013: Stage 4

One of my favorite parts of Le Tour is the Team Time Trials because of the beautiful co-ordination of the riders. Heck, if I had my way the race would be nothing but (except for mountain stages). Alas U.S. Postal and Radio Shack domination of this event have led race organizers to de-emphasise it to the point where it is but a single stage.

Of the 22 teams competing this year, 16 were within a minute of the best time, so it’s a lot more competitive than it used to be nor did it bounce around the General Classification very much with 3 Orica team mates tied for first and race favorite Froome a mere 3 seconds behind in a 3 way tie for 6th place.

Tomorrow’s course from Cagnes-sur-Mer to Marseille isn’t pancake flat (classed Medium Mountain) with 3 Category 4s and a Category 3, but most riders should find it of little difficulty except for those injured in the disasterous crash at the end of Stage 1 some of whom are expected to withdraw now that the Team Time Trial is over (they’ve basically been hanging on to support the team). There will be one Sprint Checkpoint in addition to the finish.

After 4 Stages there are 39 riders within 30 seconds of the lead-

Rank

Name

Team

Time

1

GERRANS Simon

ORICA GREENEDGE

12h 47′ 24”

2

IMPEY Daryl

ORICA GREENEDGE

+ 00′ 00”

3

ALBASINI Michael

ORICA GREENEDGE

+ 00′ 00”

4

KWIATKOWSKI Michal

OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP

+ 00′ 01”

5

CHAVANEL Sylvain

OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP

+ 00′ 01”

6

BOASSON HAGEN Edvald

SKY PROCYCLING

+ 00′ 03”

7

FROOME Christopher

SKY PROCYCLING

+ 00′ 03”

8

PORTE Richie

SKY PROCYCLING

+ 00′ 03”

9

ROCHE Nicolas

TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF

+ 00′ 09”

10

KREUZIGER Roman

TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF

+ 00′ 09”

11

ROGERS Michael

TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF

+ 00′ 09”

12

CONTADOR Alberto

TEAM SAXO-TINKOFF

+ 00′ 09”

13

MILLAR David

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

14

VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen

LOTTO-BELISOL

+ 00′ 17”

15

HANSEN Adam

LOTTO-BELISOL

+ 00′ 17”

16

HESJEDAL Ryder

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

17

VANDE VELDE Christian

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

18

TALANSKY Andrew

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

19

MARTIN Daniel

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

20

DANIELSON Thomas

GARMIN – SHARP

+ 00′ 17”

21

VALVERDE Alejandro

MOVISTAR TEAM

+ 00′ 20”

22

QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander

MOVISTAR TEAM

+ 00′ 20”

23

AMADOR Andrey

MOVISTAR TEAM

+ 00′ 20”

24

COSTA Rui Alberto

MOVISTAR TEAM

+ 00′ 20”

25

CUNEGO Damiano

LAMPRE – MERIDA

+ 00′ 25”

26

NIEMIEC Przemyslaw

LAMPRE – MERIDA

+ 00′ 25”

27

SERPA José

LAMPRE – MERIDA

+ 00′ 25”

28

EVANS Cadel

BMC RACING TEAM

+ 00′ 26”

29

GILBERT Philippe

BMC RACING TEAM

+ 00′ 26”

30

VAN GARDEREN Tejay

BMC RACING TEAM

+ 00′ 26”

31

MOINARD Amaël

BMC RACING TEAM

+ 00′ 26”

32

BAKELANTS Jan

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD

+ 00′ 28”

33

VORGANOV Eduard

KATUSHA TEAM

+ 00′ 28”

34

RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin

KATUSHA TEAM

+ 00′ 28”

35

MORENO FERNANDEZ Daniel

KATUSHA TEAM

+ 00′ 28”

36

MONFORT Maxime

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD

+ 00′ 29”

37

ZUBELDIA Haimar

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD

+ 00′ 29”

38

SCHLECK Andy

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD

+ 00′ 29”

39

KLÖDEN Andreas

RADIOSHACK LEOPARD

+ 00′ 29”

The sprinters are already starting to sort themselves out with 44 points separating the leader Peter Sagan from the 3 way tie for 10th.